This will be the easiest and best job you’ll ever have. After all, it’s not everyone who gets to work with someone full of creative energy and who gets things done. Someone who makes a difference in the world. Someone who just needs to be pointed in a direction and things happen.

I’ll be the first to admit it might also be the toughest. (OK, second after my husband.) I’ll need your attention to help thrash out ideas before I start running. I’ll need your protection when I ruffle feathers. I’ll need your trust to let me make things happen.

So are there any real qualifications for this job? I’ve thought about it quite a bit over the last few weeks. And the only clear almost un-negotiable one I could come up with is that you have to be a guy. A guy who’s been in a serious and stable relationship for a significant period of time. That’s it. Every boss I’ve worked with well has met that criterion. Weird, huh?

Beyond that, here’s my general thoughts as to what you might look like.

For You:

Decent sense of humor. I have excellent eye-rolling skills, so you can be a little corny even.

Share a passionate interest with me. Could be baseball, could be books, could be sci-fi movies, could be quilting, could be musicals. But we have to be able to talk about something other than work once in a while.

Be based where ever you like, as long as you're OK with the fact that I'm based in Dallas.

Don’t have to be creative. (I’ve got that covered.) But it helps that you understand creativity.

Be good at navigating office politics, but not king of people manipulation.

Desire to change the world to be a better place. Even if it just means you pick up litter in the parking lot on your way into the office.

First thing out of your mouth isn’t no, it’s a probing question. Then you can say no.

Understand thrashing. Do it with me.

Be OK with failing because you know that means we're trying things.

Must love dogs.

For the Company:

Looking for ways to change and innovate whatever industry you’re in. And innovate doesn’t mean paint it pink and market it to women.

Company culture that is friendly and supportive, but isn’t trying to replace my outside life.

Company culture that values hard work and hard play.

Improving the world, even if it’s just by employing people.

posted on May 11, 2009

17
comments:

Not hiring, because I don't have my own company, but I must say that this is the most creative "Job Application" I have ever seen! It is at least running neck and neck with the graphic designer who took out a billboard with her picture and resume on it.

My first probing question...why a man? I used to think that I worked better with men, and often desired them as my boss as well. But then I discovered the power and creativity of the woman entrepreneur...their ability to see things from new and fresh perspectives...their energy and enthusiasm and drive to do something meaningful blew me away.

@Richard @Margie - Glad you wish you could hire me and thank you for stopping by!

@Beccalynn - If I could find the right woman, I would take that job. My experience has been that I get along with guys better and my best bosses all fit this mold. Totally weird, but that was one of the things I figured out when I started thinking about what I wanted.

@bhny - Not applicable to me. The laws apply to the company doing the hiring. I have all the latitude I want in picking whom I want to work for.

Susan - I'm not certain when you launched your search for a boss, but I bet you're swimming in offers. Enjoy whatever you choose - your boss and your new company will be the better for it. -- I love your creativity on this, and, you got it right -- you're doing the interviewing and deciding what you want to do and for whom. Bravo.

The part about just working for a man is actually a fairly controversial statement to make in a job process...and likely colored more by your personal experiences than reality.

Hypothetically, if your clone wanted to hire you, wouldn't you work for her? And if not, what does that say about your ability to work with other women in general?

I'd personally rethink that stance -- or at minimum keep those views private. Consider -- if some men don't want to work for women, and some women don't want to work for women, it gets harder for women to get to the top, ne?

So Anonymous, you're saying I should take a nice bland, safe approach here? Too late for that! :-) Look, I've worked with lots of women over the years. I've worked with lots of guys. In a working relationship, the odds are just better for me to work well with a guy.

I would run away from working with a clone of me - male or female version. Because the best working (and other) relationships are also with people who complement each other, not copy each other.

We are hiring. We get things done. How can I get you to work with us from Dallas? www.cause-an-effect.co.uk Any ideas?

Or perhaps you can reach out to my brother founder at www.nicecollective.com (ian), he is always in need of a GTD person.

Love the approach. It must be grand, b/c you have folks loving / hating it. At least its not boring.

*eeoc comment is hilarious. i worked there for a stint while at Northeastern U. and learned that the entire system is either broken or badly misunderstood and subsequently implemented. FYI: you can choose candidates based on gender (etc.) if the job description requires for it to work.

Love this! And I'm soooo looking for a you. And I also soooo understand the working with a guy thing. Totally. Get. It. But if you're ever looking for a really cool chick to work with--maybe little projects--let me know. Peace and joy, Rebecca

Great idea. You should expand and write about your experiences from the other side of the interview table. Maybe create a kind of Linkedin in reverse. Most companies are very poor at selecting candidates. They need someone to give some constructive criticism on this critical business function. Your site automatically filters out the cog-like positions that are a waste of time for someone as creative as yourself. Good luck